The Open Sea (Rewritten)
by ZeldaFanMan7
Summary: (I wrote this story a while ago, and reading it again, I realized it could be better. Please tell me what you think!) After a fight with Tetra, Link decides to return to his old days of adventuring on his own, leaving Tetra to her old days of being the captain of a pirate ship. But they both soon realize that their old lives weren't as great as they remember. Oneshot.


_I am really looking to improve my writing, so PLEASE review, especially if you read the old version! If you did, tell me if this is any better! If you didn't, tell me if it sucks or not! Honestly, I would rather receive a review loaded down with criticism than no review at all! Thanks!_

* * *

It was a wonderful feeling to wake up to the gentle sway of the pirate ship moving across the ocean, with gentle waves lapping against the side of the boat, and to breathe in the salty air as the first few rays of morning sunlight shone through the cracks in the wooden wall of Link's cabin. Link smiled and shifted in his hammock, opening his eyes to the oakwood ceiling. Surely this would be another great day at sea, Link thought, as he rested his eyes and breathed a deep sigh of content.

_SLAM._

"_Link_!"

Startled by the sudden change in his cabin's atmosphere, Link jerked to his left. His hammock spun and not-so-gently deposited him on the hardwood floor. Groaning, he rolled to his side and looked up to see a blond, beautiful, and angry girl standing over him. The door was flung wide open behind her, and a small group of pirates had gathered outside the cabin to watch this interesting bit of performance.

"Good morning, Tetra." Link muttered groggily. He stood and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Apparently, it was not a good morning. Tetra crossed her arms and drilled Link with the trademarked pirate captain stare. "Do you like spoiled fish?"

"Not my favorite, I guess." Link was now fully awake, and going through a mental list of what he had- or hadn't - done that had gotten Tetra so mad. Suddenly, his eyes widened. _Fish. Spoiled. Oops._

"Yeah. Uh-huh." said Tetra, seeing the realization in his eyes. "You forgot to put all the fish in the food bins downstairs, didn't you? They weren't on ice all last night, and now they're spoiled. That means we have nothing to eat, and we'll have to stop for more food. By the time we're done with that, we won't be ahead of that storm! We'll have to stay docked for a whole day!"

"M'sorry, Tetra." said Link.

"Sorry? Link, what were you thinking? This ruins all our plans!"

Link tried to remember what he had been thinking last night. He remembered finishing his deck chores, sitting on the railing of the ship, shooting arrows at sea monsters half-heartedly, and wishing he could be out adventuring on the sea again. His quest last month to defeat Ganondorf had stirred something inside of him that had been repressed for twelve years when he had lived on Outset Island, and now, living on a pirate ship where he had to follow a routine of waking, working, eating, working and sleeping made him feel shut-in. Cooped up. Just like he had felt all those years when he had sat on the porch of his grandmother's house, watching the waves.

The fish had probably slipped his mind.

Tetra was still going strong. "It was a simple task, Link! Why do I ever give you any responsibility? I mean, sometimes... sometimes I wonder why you're even here."

Several members of the pirate audience gasped.

Link's narrowed his eyes, resenting the question. Even though he'd asked it of himself last night, it still hurt coming from Tetra.

Her eyes widened with the realization that she'd gone too far. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that... I was just thinking out loud-"

"Why?" Link repeated. "You have to wonder why I stay here?"

"Link-"

Link didn't stop. His true feelings were suddenly bubbling to the surface, their strength surprising him after a month of trying to suppress them.

"Do you think I stay here because I like scrubbing the deck? No. Do you think it's because I like seeing Niko's hair in the morning? No. Do I like the smell of six pirates after a full day's work in the sun? Definitely not. Do I like the weird exotic island cuisine? ...Well, sometimes, when it doesn't have eyes. But that's not the reason I stay! It's because..."

Link stopped. How to finish?

_I like adventure. I have new friends. I love you._

"Forget it." Link muttered. He'd tried to show his feelings. Maybe he hadn't tried hard enough. But if Tetra refused to see the real reason he stayed, he didn't have a real reason to stay. It was as simple as that, wasn't it?

Link's cabin was getting uncomfortable. He needed to be alone for a while. Excusing his way past the pirates, whose mouths were still agape with shock (maybe with shock at the drama that had just unfolded on the stage of Link's personal life, maybe with indignance at Link's comments about their odor), Link made his way across the deck.

"Where are you going?" Tetra demanded. Link just shook his head, too frustrated to reply. He was heading for the one place he could truly be alone with his thoughts, leaving Tetra staring coldly after him and several pirates indignantly sniffing their armpits.

He put one foot up on the railing and threw himself off the ship, landing neatly onto his boat from last month's adventures, the King of Red Lions. Not as easy as he remembered. Link plopped down on the hard wooden bench and simply stared at the waves for several hours.

He found himself wishing his boat still possessed the power of speech. Then maybe he'd have someone to vent to.

"What should I do?" Link posed the question to the wooden, lifeless face of the boat. If he expected a reply, he was disappointed. After a few minutes of standing and thinking, Link resignedly sat back on the bench.

"Yow!" Link hopped up to his feet. He'd been whacked, slashed, punched, swallowed, and frozen solid, but make no mistake, no pain was worse than sitting on a hookshot.

Link grabbed the device angrily... then he realized that it was the first time he'd even seen it in a month. He glanced down, and there was his old bag of adventure gear.

The Wind Waker, Grappling Hook, Boomerang, Deku Leaf, Tingle Tuner (Link shuddered involuntarily), Hero's Bow, Iron Boots, Hookshot… the memories made him almost want to take off on his own again, explore the seas, defeat enemies, find treasure…

Link gazed out into the sea. It was now night, and moonlight reflected against the water, the ever-lapping waves drifting softly against his boat. What was stopping him? As long as there was an endless sea, there was endless possibility. Was there anything keeping him here?

_I love you._

Anger surfaced again at the memory of their bitter confrontation that morning. Had a whole day really passed since then? Why was he wasting his time here? If he stayed any longer, Tetra would have him scrub the decks or some other dumb job. He'd saved her from the evil Ganondorf for Nayru's sake! And she was having him scrub the deck?

Link knew what he would do. What he _should _do. It would be best for all of them, right?

With one final look at the pirate ship, where all his former friends were sleeping, Link raised the sail and set off.

* * *

Wow! What a fantastic feeling! The wind filled Link's sails, pushing him towards the horizon as the morning sun was appearing above the waves. Salty spray splashed across Link, and he laughed with delight. He glanced at his sea chart, knowing that he could go wherever he wanted upon it and beyond. Out here, he controlled his own destiny! Why had he ever given this up?

An image crossed his head of when he'd first left his island. He'd been so reluctant to leave the railing even long after Outset had dropped out of sight. When he did, Tetra was smirking at him.

Just then did he realize just how beautiful she was, with the ocean breeze playing with her hair and the sea reflecting in her eyes.

_Oh yeah, that's why. _Link thought.

_SLAM._

_Ooh. Ouch. My face._

Rubbing his nose, Link picked himself off the bottom of the boat. He had been lost in his thoughts and crashed into a reef, pitching him forward on his face.

Okay, so, not a great start to his adventure. But it was fine.

After ten minutes of tugging, Link got the boat around the reef and back out into open water, barely jumping in before it caught the wind and took off.

* * *

"Link?" Tetra called softly into Link's cabin.

No reply. She pushed the door open slowly. The hammock was empty.

Hmm. He was probably below deck with Niko, messing around. She smiled a bit in spite of herself.

But no, he wasn't there! Well, maybe he was hanging out in his boat. He might have gone there to think, and the boat was gone.

The boat was gone.

Link was gone.

For a moment, Tetra felt her face go numb. She grabbed the railing. Gone? _Gone?!_

Sure, she'd been mad, but... she didn't expect this! She... she didn't _want _this.

"Link, how could you..." she whispered to the waves.

She thought about the spoiled fish and the million other things Link had let her down with. And now he just left, like it was her fault?

"Good riddance." She turned from the railing and stormed into her cabin.

* * *

Link was beginning to question the wisdom of his decision.

It had seemed great at the time! Tetra obviously didn't want him there, he didn't want to be there, it worked out.

_Except I do want to be there._

Where had that thought come from? Did it matter? Tetra obviously didn't want him there.

She didn't want him there.

Did she want him there?

Link sighed. The crew was probably noticing his absence by now. He wondered what Tetra would think. Would she be mad? Happy? Devastated?

But this was where he belonged, on the open sea! He couldn't just give up his life of adventuring just to pursue the hopeless dream of trying to make Tetra realize that he really did-

Link felt a pang of dull, aching longing.

"Idiot." Link muttered. He wasn't sure who he was insulting.

With a sigh, Link realized that he could either fill his head with possibilities and guesses, or enjoy his adventure. He forced his mind to notice the beauty of the sea and the clouds and the sun and the inside of his eyelids and how beautiful Tetra was, even though his image of her in his dreams couldn't possibly do her justice, and his pants were on fire.

Link dove off the side of the boat and into the cool water, instantly feeling relief. He hoisted himself back up onto the boat, but even that small movement brought pain to his arms. He glanced at his skin, and at the sun, which was now on the other side of the sky. He'd slept for at least four hours and gotten a killer sunburn.

He rummaged through his pack. Would rubbing Chu Jelly on his arms relieve some of the pain?

_SON OF A-_

Nope. Link was gripping the sail pole, going through a mental list of obscenities, when suddenly the entire boat pitched sideways.

"What now?!" Link muttered.

_SNARL!_

A Gyorg, a shark-like sea monster with yellow eyes and nasty sharp teeth, was coming right for him. Link fumbled for his bow and nocked an arrow. Fwip!

The Gyorg snarled loudly as the projectile buried itself in the monster's side. It doubled back and rushed Link's boat again, launching into the air and coming straight down towards Link. In the last possible moment, Link swung his sword in an upward arc and slashed the monster open, spraying purple smoke all over him. Link coughed.

"I don't remember adventure sucking so much." Link muttered to himself. His stomach rumbled.

_At least it can't get any w-_

With a loud, thundering _KA-BOOM_, a storm began and freezing sheets of rain pounded Link's head.

* * *

"Miss Tetra?" Gonzo spoke softly through the door.

"Gum uhwum." Tetra muttered into her pillow.

"What?"

"Gum uhwum."

"I'm sorry, I can't tell what you're-"

"GO AWAY!" Tetra shouted.

Gonzo just sighed at this. "OK, I didn't want to do this, but..."

Gonzo started knocking on the door once every five seconds, which is super annoying and impossible to ignore.

"COME FREAKING IN!" Tetra shouted after a minute. Gonzo smiled and stepped inside her cabin.

Tetra was sprawled out on her bed, not at all concerned that she'd spent the better part of the day doing absolutely nothing.

Gonzo ventured the question. "Are you still upset about Link?" As soon as the last syllable exited his mouth, he took a step with his left foot, right foot, dropped to his knee, rolled behind the cover of the dresser. He'd practiced that all day.

Surprisingly, no pillows, lamps, or spoiled fish came flying his way. He cautiously poked his head around the corner.

"No." Tetra muttered. Gonzo just shook his head and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Come on." he said, nodding to the half-eaten candy on her nightstand. "You ate the truffle from Windfall that you were saving for a special occasion. Only one person can make you that upset."

Tetra glanced up at Gonzo and had to smile. He just looked so... fatherly. And it was true, he was like a father to her, since the day she'd met him.

"Do you think he'll come back?" She asked.

"He might. And if he did, what would you do?"

"I would make things right." She said immediately. She'd been thinking about it all day.

"Then I'm sure you'll see him again." said Gonzo. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and finished off the truffle on his way out.

* * *

"This was a stupid idea," Link muttered through gritted, chattering teeth.

He was huddled against the King of Red Lions' masthead, trying to shelter himself from the rain using the sail. It wasn't working. Finally, he went to sleep to the rhythmic beating of raindrops on the cloth, which occasionally sent pools of cold water sliding down onto Link's face.

The next morning was even hotter. The sun beams seemed twice as hot as before. What a miserable adventure this had been. He was even starting to hate that word. _Adventure._

_What, am I four years old? No, four-year-olds are usually smarter._

Exhausted from his rough night, Link barely managed to keep his eyes open as he guided the boat through the waves, lost in thought. He only barely noticed that he had passed by Six-Eye Reef twice, and when he did, it hardly surprised him.

This was definitely _not _as fun as his previous adventure. Where was the roguish feel of the open sea, where he could do what he wanted and go where he pleased? Where was the exhileration of fending off monsters and getting closer and closer to beating his enemy, Ganondorf, and rescuing Tetra, who he loved dearly, and there, he said it.

Before he was sailing for Tetra. Now he was just sailing for... himself.

_Aw, you selfish piece of fish bait. What if Tetra really had been devastated when I left? How could you do that to her?_

Link realized something then. The adventure had been great and all, but that wasn't the part he had really liked. The part he really liked was back on the pirate ship.

He reached a decision.

* * *

Tetra, unbeknownst to him, had also made a decision. The next morning, she appeared on deck bright-eyed and well-rested. And she knew what to do. She had to find Link somehow.

But she was surprised to find, as soon as she emerged from her cabin, the formerly grimy deck was polished – near spotless, even! Tetra shrugged. It had probably been Gonzo, that big softie.

But as she neared the rail, she saw that it and the wheel had been polished as well. Tetra turned see the walls had been scrubbed, the cannonballs had been stacked, and even the food bins belowdecks had been organized.

"What is going on?" Tetra muttered.

She continued through the ship, finding similar surprises. Eventually, she came to the final room – Link's quarters. It suddenly dawned on her who had done all this.

Cautiously, she opened to door to find Link sound asleep on his hammock. His face and hands were streaked in mud and grime, and a broom, mop and soapy rag lay below him. Tetra smiled widely and approached him, until she was standing over the sleeping Link. He must've been exhausted, but he slept fitfully, with a big grin on his face.

Tetra leaned in closely and gently kissed Link on the cheek. Then she took the broom, mop, and soapy rag and headed out the door, closing it quietly. She didn't notice Link's smile become even warmer as he sighed and rolled over in his sleep.

* * *

_REVIZIU, MI PETAS! (Review, please!)_


End file.
